One of the best things about staying with the hosts in the Haute-Garonne is that they let me borrow the car on the weekends. Other hosts have let me use their cars, but this one was....
 |
| a FIAT Barchetta convertible! |
|
Needless to say, I got a lot of looks and felt conspicuous but it sure was fun on the curvy mountain roads. One afternoon, I took a little drive to the town of Saint-Gaudens, the main supply town for the part of the Haute-Garonne I was staying in. It could be an attractive place but its mountain views are marred by a paper factory that bellows smoke and a stench that you'd certainly recognize if you've lived near or driven through Longview, Washington. Otherwise, it's not such a bad place...
For those of you following the Tour de France, Saint-Gaudens is the start of the 14th stage which takes place on July 16th. I will be somewhere along the route that day. Stay tuned - it will be a beautiful and difficult stage and the coverage will give you a chance to see a lot of the Ariege.
